{"id":9610,"date":"2023-01-31T08:37:48","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T13:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=9610"},"modified":"2023-01-31T08:58:33","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T13:58:33","slug":"february-5-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/february-5-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"February 5, 2023–A Matter of Taste"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mary Ellen Helms, Loveland, Ohio<\/b><\/p>\n

Warm-up Question<\/b><\/h4>\n

Describe your favorite food as best you can without naming any of the ingredients.<\/p>\n

A Matter of Taste<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The science of taste is fascinating, perhaps because food is a universal part of our daily lives. We eat to live and, for many of us, sharing a meal with others brings a whole new sense of joy to our daily lives. Food tells stories and we use the flavors of food to experience it in all sorts of different ways.<\/p>\n

The five most common flavors detected by humans are salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami. Once it was thought that these flavors were only tasted in specific parts of our tongue, but that myth has been debunked through science<\/a>. Our tastebuds are covered in receptors that receive multiple messages and help us to enjoy some flavors and dislike others.<\/p>\n

While every flavor may not appeal to us, most of us are drawn to at least a couple of flavor profiles.\u00a0 <\/span>Salt is particularly interesting because it is a naturally occurring element that helps our bodies do the daily work of living. Salt does multiple jobs, but when it comes to food, the main work is preserving food and enhancing flavor. Though basic in its make-up, it is pivotal in its power.<\/p>\n

Discussion Questions<\/b><\/h4>\n